The Darkness @ o2 Academy, 11th December 2015
After doors open at 7, thinking getting to the O2 Academy at 7.30 was reasonable timing, I soon find out The River 68’s (and no, that’s not a grammatical error) have already been on. They are two brothers from Glasgow, who have previously worked with guitarist Dan Hawkins of tonight’s headline band The Darkness. Listening to them whilst writing this it’s a shame I haven’t caught them, as they sound like they would be great live, though their relatively cool but upbeat version of rock ’n’ roll might explain why the crowd seem quite a mellow bunch on arrival.
Despite having missed The River 68’s it is a pleasant surprise to see The Darkness take to the stage earlier than scheduled at just gone 8. Kicking off the night is Barbarian from the new studio album Last of Our Kind, but the crowd really gets going when Growin’ On Me plays next. The Darkness are pretty well known for their bright outfits and a liveliness to match and tonight is no exception with front man Justin Hawkins (older brother of the aforementioned Dan) reminiscent of a circus ringleader in a black and white striped suit complete with his name sparkling on the back.
After a slow start The Darkness is getting into it with everyone recognising their earlier classics. This seems to be the recurring theme of the night. Every band has songs that people know and love but so many by The Darkness are from their first and second albums. Third album Hot Cakes and their latest album Last Of Our Kind barely feature in this set suggesting that the band know their last two albums are perhaps not considered their best.
However, they are giving the crowd a great show. The appeal of The Darkness is clearly wide reaching since we have a huge range of ages in the audience, from clearly seasoned rockers to young kids who are sharing their enjoyment with their parents.
At one stage lead singer Justin – on seeing the number of very young people in the audience – apologises for all the swearing in tonight’s show (many a time various 4 letter words were drawn out in lights in time with the music and lyrics) and dedicates the next song to 8 year old Kai who is sitting on the balcony near stage right. Hawkins demonstrates his fantastic confidence throughout the night responding to everything from Happy Birthday heckles in the middle of songs to naming as many different areas of the Midlands as he can. At one point Hawkins introduces his band in an American rap style for which he apologises instantly and promises we’ll never have to hear him do it again – so you missed out if you weren’t in Brum tonight! Generally he’s out to make sure the audience enjoys witnessing just how much The Darkness belongs on the road.
Overall the sound of The Darkness’ performance is phenomenal. Every band member is on top form and it is great to see them live again, but it is a real shame that there are not more people here to enjoy it. Since their brilliantly successful first album, Permission To Land, hit shelves in 2003 The Darkness has been through a lot, including a long break to deal with Justin Hawkins going into rehab as well as a number of different drummers. Their latest, Rufus Taylor – son of Queen drummer Roger Taylor, blends in excellently tonight having only been in the band for a few months. I hope we continue to see more new music from the Darkness, but – as is the case with so many classic rock bands – their high place as a great live band is going nowhere. They are solid, epic performers who love being in rock ’n’ roll and making sure their fans get to see them do it best.
Set List
Barbarian
Growing On Me
Black Shuck
Mudslide
Givin’ Up
Roaring Water
One Way Ticket
Love Is Only A Feeling
Friday Night
English Country Garden (medley with Queen’s One Vision and their own I Believe In A Thing Called Love)
Conquerors
Every Inch Of You
Rack Of Glam
Get Your Hands Off My Woman
Stuck In A Rut
I Believe In A Thing Called Love
Encore:
17. Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End)
18. Street Spirit (Fade Out) – Radiohead cover
19. Love On The Rocks (With No Ice)
Review: Katie Foulkes
Photographs: Dave Musson